How to factory reset my Android phone before selling it?

With the rise of smartphone usage, there are many instances where people are looking to sell their old Android phone. But before doing so, they want to make sure that all personal data is deleted from the device. This can be done by doing a factory reset on your Android phone. 

This step will allow you to delete all photos, messages, contacts, and other personal data from your device. It will restore your phone back to its original state before using it for the first time. Here are some steps on how to factory reset an Android phone effectively.

What is a factory reset and why do I need one?

A factory reset is simply a simple procedure which wipes all data stored on the device and restores it to its original state. Once this step is performed, a user will not be able to access any information stored on the device. It will wipe out all of your data, which includes photos, contacts, documents, apps, and other data.

When you perform a factory reset, it will completely remove all personal data stored on your phone. Hence, a buyer is likely to be reassured that their sensitive data has been completely wiped out, which is usually the case.

How will a factory reset affect my data?

The process of a factory reset will delete all personal data stored in your phone. So it can be said that it can delete all personal data stored in the Android phone. 

If you want to avoid losing personal data, you have to complete the factory reset process in a safe manner. In addition to deleting all personal data, you can also erase all the information saved in your app data and in the storage.

But before doing a factory reset, you should know that it will delete all system data, apps, and mobile data. The factory reset procedure will restore your phone to its original position. 

Hence, it will leave your Android Phone in a “clean slate”. However, if you want to transfer or backup important data, you can do it during the factory reset.

How to sign out of all the accounts?

First of all, you need to manually delete all the accounts you used to sign in like Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp, etc. To do this, go to “Settings” then “Accounts” and delete each account individually. Then sign out of your Google account. This step will stop all new syncs on your old phone. Let us now see how we can do factory reset on an Android phone.

How to factory reset your Android phone?

The first thing that you need to do is plug in your Android phone to the charger to ensure that your device has at least 50% battery life and also remove your microSD card and SIM card from the device before doing this step.

1- Click on the “settings” of your phone.

2- Look for “Reset” and then click “Factory Data Reset” for the item you are looking for.

3- Now enable the reset and let the phone complete the cleaning and wipe process and then restart it.

4- Once this process is complete, you will see the Android splash screen on restart. This allows new users to login with their own access data.

Conclusion

It can be a great option for you if you want to Sell Your Old Device and know that it will be wiped completely from the memory before being put up for sale. It is also important to take a proper note of the personal data on your device and make sure it is saved to a safe place before selling your phone.

If you have a better idea or need additional information, please leave a comment below.

FAQs

Do I have to remove my SIM card before doing factory settings?

Before doing a factory reset: Time to remove your SIM card, if you have one. Removing the SIM card does not affect the reset process. Even if no SIM card is installed, the iOS software, including the reset process, continues to function normally.

Does a Factory Reset Get Rid of Viruses?

If your computer, Mac, iPhone or Android smartphone is infected with a virus, you can do a factory reset. However, a factory reset should always be approached with discretion. You will lose all your data.

How do you securely wipe your Android phone?

Follow these 4 steps to securely erase your Android phone

1- Make sure your Android device is encrypted.

2- Remove your SIM card and other memory cards.

3- Perform a factory reset to wipe your device completely.

4- Remove any remaining account associations.

All the above steps will help you wipe your Android smartphone safely. However, you need to ensure that along with data wipe, you also delete all the accounts associated with the phone. Only after you log out and remove all the accounts, the entire phone will be wiped out and your old phone will have no personal data left.